This question has been asked for decades. S&W does offer a lot of models that no longer have the lock. I wish that they eliminated the lock on their newer line of "classic" revolvers. Sadly they do not.
That said, I work in a range where millions of rounds have been fired through S&W revolvers that have the dreaded lock. Never have we seen even one failure attributed to the "hillary hole", and this includes hundreds of airweight snubbies firing .357 magnums.
Fro legal reasons I leave it alone and it no longer bothers me, bothers me, bothers me.
That said, I work in a range where millions of rounds have been fired through S&W revolvers that have the dreaded lock. Never have we seen even one failure attributed to the "hillary hole", and this includes hundreds of airweight snubbies firing .357 magnums.
Fro legal reasons I leave it alone and it no longer bothers me, bothers me, bothers me.